


Below the Surface

by ChatterboxAngel



Series: Harry Potter Drabbles [5]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Feels, Gen, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-22
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 10:01:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1506380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChatterboxAngel/pseuds/ChatterboxAngel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snape knew why he had to kill Dumbledore, but still, he found himself hesitating to actually do so.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Below the Surface

The plan had been made long before that fateful night in the Astronomy Tower, but despite the hatred and revulsion he had painted on his face, Severus Snape still wasn’t sure that he could bring himself to kill Dumbledore. He knew how important it was, knew that if he didn’t that it might ruin everything, and knew that if it wasn’t by his own hand and Dumbledore’s own choice that Lily’s death might go unavenged for the rest of eternity. But it wasn’t as simple as just getting vengeance for her murder anymore. Regardless of the fact that his love for her still burned as bright and hot as a phoenix flame, revenge was no longer the only thing he cared for.

For all his bluster, his anger, and his determination to hate the entire world that continued to exist without Lily in it, Snape had become attached to both the doddering old fool of an extremely wise and powerful wizard known as Albus Dumbledore and the spitting image of his old enemy, who had inherited his mother’s magical green eyes, known as Harry Potter. And with this single act, he was about to lose them both.

Dumbledore was the one person in the entire world who knew all of Severus Snape, and he had given Snape the gifts of trust and respect in far greater quantities than he felt he deserved. Since the moment of his change of heart, Dumbledore had not suspected him even once, even after he returned to playing the double agent once the Dark Lord had been revived. Not even Lord Voldemort had given him such trust, and that was after several very thorough sessions of both physical and mental testing (torturing).

And Harry Potter, Lily’s only son, hated him, had always hated him. Of course, Snape wasn’t entirely fond of the young Potter either. But as much as he hated the parts of Harry that were so like James, he loved the parts of Harry that were so like Lily. And despite the fact that he had always made sure Harry Potter hated him, there had always been a chance for forgiveness, if Snape ever decided to sincerely apologize and explain. Harry, so like his mother, would have forgiven Snape, but what Dumbledore needed him to do would make that chance disappear forever.

Dumbledore, being the great man he was, sensed his hesitation. Snape just knew he could. And it was only seconds later that a ragged voice begged with only two words, “Severus, please.”

No one else knew what Dumbledore was asking, pleading for. Of them all, only Snape knew that the one wizard the Dark Lord had ever truly feared was asking for death, not life. And the time had come, the second most important of his roles in this plan. He could hesitate no longer. His time was up. As what little of what was left of his heart was stabbed by a thousand needles, Severus Snape, the Half-blood Prince, muttered the two words that would seal all their fates, _“Avada Kedavra.”_

**Author's Note:**

> If it behooves you, please kudo, comment, bookmark, and subscribe.


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